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[SEGA CD] Advice regarding the Sega CD requested!
DisruptorX2
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Hey dudes, I was thinking of picking up a Sega CD, but I had a few concerns about purchasing a 20 year old CD-based accessory and I figured you folks would know what's what. How's the hardware reliability? I've had pretty terrible personal experiences with disc consoles such as the ps2. Just curious how well these work, in other words, because these things are pretty expensive for what they are. The "memory card" costs the same as the damn system, don't know if I'd even bother with that.
In any event, feel free to discuss the system and games in general if you wish. If you're wondering why the hell I'd want one, its because I picked up a few games, and prefer the real console experience. Same reason I play my SNES games on SNES, even if they have ports to newer systems.
Just no clue where else I'd ask for advice on this thing since I certainly don't know anyone who ever owned one. So what do y'all think of it?
In any event, feel free to discuss the system and games in general if you wish. If you're wondering why the hell I'd want one, its because I picked up a few games, and prefer the real console experience. Same reason I play my SNES games on SNES, even if they have ports to newer systems.
Just no clue where else I'd ask for advice on this thing since I certainly don't know anyone who ever owned one. So what do y'all think of it?
Posts
http://www.sega-16.com/
Lots of great info there, especially in the forums.
I can't really speak about reliability, I'm using a Model 2 Sega CD and it hasn't failed (yet). I've heard that Model 1's are more prone to fail. Even just by design (mechanized tray vs. "flip top") there are more components that could break. If you got a CDX or JVC X'Eye, those should be similarly reliable (but again, I have no experience with anything except the Model 2 SCD).
CD back-up RAM carts are usually expensive, only advice there I can offer is to stay alert since they can pop up for more reasonable prices from time to time. The "Sonic's Bazaar" section of Sega 16 can have some good deals on those, too, so check into that.
I'm not sure if there's any alternatives outside of flash carts, and you wouldn't save much money going that route (but you would get a lot of extra functionality). The Neo Myth MD can already be used as a CD backup RAM cartridge, the Mega EverDrive will also offer that feature but it hasn't been released yet.
EDIT: I forgot to mention the MegaCart, that would work as well, but it's not cheaper than buying the Sega branded cart:
http://products.genny4ever.net/megacart_v1x.html
EDIT 2: I did a little reading, and apparently the Japanese back-up RAM carts will work just fine (and are usually much cheaper). Here's a listing that's more reasonable, you might find something even better if you keep looking around:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mega-CD-BACK-UP-RAM-Cartridge-SEGA-Genesis-JAPAN-mc-/360388839758?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53e8d9494e
You'll have to make it fit with a pass-through (don't think a Game Genie would work in this instance, but I can't say for sure) or by modifying your Genesis. There's a US cart going for a little more if you'd rather not go that route (probably should have just linked this first, haha, but you can find them for cheaper than this if you're patient and watch eBay):
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SEGA-CD-BACKUP-RAM-CART-X16-INTERNAL-MEMORY-/380404336021?pt=Video_Games_Accessories&hash=item5891dd8595
Very interesting that the Japanese pack works. I suppose that isn't all that uncommon, but cool none the less.
Something cool about the MegaCart/Neo Myth MD/likely the EverDrive as well is that they allow you to load different BIOSes for "region free" Sega CD gaming. You can also back up your games, patch them for your region, then write them to a CD-R to bypass that problem.
Genuine classics:
-Lunar: The Silver Star
-Popful Mail
-Lunar II: Eternal Blue
-Panic!
-Road Avenger
-The Secret of Monkey Island
-Rise of the Dragon
-Heart of the Alien (Out of this World 1 & 2)
Guilty pleasures:
-Night Trap
-Double Switch
-Corpse Killer
-Sewer Shark
It has an internal battery, so you don't need a memory card. How well the battery will hold up... well, that's the trick.
Welcome to the world on this side.
I've yet to have a battery fail on me (though I have carts I haven't played in a decade so that's hardly definitive), but who knows with used games and systems. Really its the disc drives that worry me. Though using top loaders, rather than trays, seem to be the key to avoiding that sort of shit.
There is also a fuse that is very prone to blowing on the mainboard which will result in the sega cd not turning on at all. This is a super easy fix and can be done for under the price of a quarter.
Well. Now I'm depressed.
An hour or two worth of soldering or a hundred or so bucks, and all your old consoles from the 90's will be good and guaranteed to work for the next 20-30 years. So it's not that depressing. Buy now, fix them up, and you can keep enjoying them for a long time.
I'd actually recommend everyone with a 90's console that wants to enjoy it well into the future give their console a total tune up, even if it's still working. That is to say, replace all the caps, check all the fuses, and replace the CD-Rom mechanisms (motor, lens, and belt if applicable). This will ensure you decades more enjoyment. It's not nearly as complex as it sounds, and you can wander into virtually any dedicated community (sega-16, atari age, Assembler, Racketboy, Super PC Engine FX, etc) and find either people willing to help you through the process or flat out do it for you.
On the other hand, I guess that makes me far less worried about how well the console will run; if it would need tune up anyway.
Please tell me that this is based in some large part on usage...
It's based entirely on time. A brand new, never before used system, still in box, could be experiencing cap plague right now.
If you end up with a CD, get Snatcher, man! It holds up, which I really can't say about most of the other cult CD classics.
Also, Earthworm Jim was way better than the MD/Genesis version. But be wary about most of those ports, they only got minor changes from the cart versions, but they'll probably cost you way more.
I'd add Dark Wizard to the classics list, with the caveat that you have to turn off the battle animations because they're boring and take too long to load.
And now I am depressed from reading about capacitor plague.
Does this affect all 90s systems? Or just disc based systems?
Model 1 genesis and model 1 sega cd means that it has the best sound quality, has the mechanical drive bay, plus it just looks straight up wicked cool.
Only downside is that it can sometimes be pretty finnicky, so I have to take the cover off the sega cd and lightly graze the side of the disc with my finger to make it read. It doesn't happen with all, games, though.
Oh snap! That's all I need to fix that?
Time to dig that bitch back out and Nights it up.
Not to start any console wars, but your pride and joy should be to the right of your sega. :winky:
My atari lynx? It's alright, I guess.
It's still going strong. The capacitor issue is something I hadn't heard of, but I know many are prone to going bad anyways. I have no issues replacing mine on my own.
Anyways, it's hard to go wrong with either model from a fun perspective. Although there are a number of the "best" games on it that have been re-released or remade on other consoles since.
Adding to the above games mentioned, I'd throw in Vay and the Eternal Champions game if you like fighting games. Sonic CD is good, but the recent XBL release is excellent and I'd say that's better off than the original.
(I still love AVGN)
I never bothered owning one myself - but obviously there are some good games on there, especially if you like Ecco and want the amazing soundtrack the CD version has. Eternal Champions Sega CD was also pretty awesome - had a ton of content.
His console and accessory reviews, including out of character, are all great (his game reviews are hit or miss though). Thing is, by his nature, he doesn't review anything that's good or that he doesn't own.
Of course he's right in that few people bought the thing. I knew more people who had a Saturn than a CD (1 versus none).
If you have a "bad" system, you can mod it with TmEE's Crystal Clear Audio Mod:
http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthread.php?7686-Crystal-Clear-Audio-Mod-for-Sega-Mega-Drive-2-amp-Genesis-2-version-1-0
It really cleans up the audio, possibly a project worth pursuing if you'd rather play on a Model 2.
Some people think the audio from the Nomad sounds the best, there's a lot of recordings from it on this site:
http://www.protoman.com/Music/Music/Gunstar Heroes/
http://www.protoman.com/Music/Music/Streets of Rage 2/
http://www.protoman.com/Music/Music/Sonic the Hedgehog 2/
And an outline of the tests he performed: http://www.protoman.com/genesisaudio/
But after saying all that, I'm still happiest with the VA1-VA6 Model audio. Here's a song that I recorded off my VA6:
How can you tell the difference between the sound cards, btw? Is there some signature tone to each one or something? Like this (excellent example of MIDI guitar YEAAAH!) for instance, can ya tell which model it was recorded on?
Most emulators out there sound more like a model 2 genesis than a model 1. The difference between the two is very noticeable. You can hear it very clearly when listening to Emerald Hill Zone from Sonic 2.
If you got a Genesis with the Sonic the Hedgehog pack-in, you likely have the best sounding genesis period. I have that model, along with a nomad, and I think that model genesis sounds way, way better.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SegaMegaDrive_AudioComparision.ogg
Let's compare!
And the Saturn version is better than the PS1's, but it still can't compare to the PCM audio version.
Welcome to the world on this side.
Welcome to the world on this side.
Fascinating. There's so much more subtle complexity and hardware revision minutiae to be aware of with old Sega consoles than with Nintendo, it seems. With the SNES, for example...you pretty much have an SNES. Full stop. (Unless you have the SNES Jr. thing, but at least there's no mistaking one for the other.) I mean, at least as far as I'm aware, the SNES stayed pretty much completely unchanged for its entire run.
Compared to the Genesis, where in North America there's three basic models and then so much hardware variation, externally pretty much invisible, even within those three basic generations.
Apparently the Genesis 2 I just bought is a V0 motherboard. Not sure whether that's good or bad. I am about the farthest thing from an audiophile, so I frankly am not concerned with the sound. I have noticed my Genesis does the vertical rainbow stripes, but it's only visible on the black screen when first booting up.
Unfortunately a number of genuine classics on the system go for really high prices.
I made a list of games I personally am interested in that don't go for absurdly high prices (and some that do):
I have most of these by now. There's a number of good RPGs that just go for crazy prices though, that I didn't list.
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
I'll pay somebody then, i don't feel like opening up 5 consoles and i definitely don't want to open up my CDX.